Good Ol' Days › From St. Thomas

Flying into St. Thomas for a BVI charter

St. Thomas has far more nonstop service from the US than Tortola does, so a good many guests fly there and cross. Here is how that actually works, and what to watch for.

The British Virgin Islands have one airport that matters for charter guests, Terrance B. Lettsome International on Beef Island (EIS), just over the bridge from Tortola. It is small. Almost nothing flies there nonstop from the mainland US, so getting in usually means a connection through San Juan or through St. Thomas anyway.

St. Thomas (STT) is the opposite. It takes nonstop flights from a long list of US cities, often on wide-body aircraft, and frequently at a lower fare. For a group of ten traveling from several different cities, it is very often the easier airport to coordinate around. The trade is that St. Thomas is in the US Virgin Islands and your charter is in the British Virgin Islands, which is a different country.

The two ways to do it

1. Fly to St. Thomas, ferry across to Tortola

This is the common route. You land at STT, take a taxi to the ferry terminal, and cross to Tortola, where the boat is waiting. Ferries run between the US and British Virgin Islands every day, from both Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook on the St. Thomas side, into Road Town and West End on the Tortola side.

The one thing worth planning around is the last boat. Ferry service stops in the early evening, not at midnight, and the schedule thins out on Sundays and holidays. A flight that lands at four in the afternoon can easily mean missing the last crossing and paying for a hotel night in St. Thomas you had not budgeted. Aim to be on the ground by early afternoon. When your dates are set we send the current schedule for your specific day, because operators adjust these seasonally and a timetable found online in advance is often out of date.

2. Be picked up in the USVI

We can also collect you from St. Thomas or another USVI port and clear into the BVI with you aboard, which removes the ferry from the day entirely. It takes more notice than a Tortola start and it uses part of your first day's sailing, so it is something to raise when you first inquire rather than the week before. A one-way week that starts in the BVI and drops you at Red Hook on St. Thomas at the end is also straightforward, and some groups prefer it because it puts them next to the airport on departure morning.

Passports and immigration

The BVI is a British Overseas Territory with its own immigration. Crossing from the US Virgin Islands is an international border, so every guest needs a valid passport, children included. A birth certificate or a driver's license will not do it, which is the single most common thing that goes wrong for US families who assume the Virgin Islands are one place.

Check expiry dates well ahead. Renewals take time, and a passport that expires soon after your travel dates can cause trouble at the border even though it has not technically lapsed.

What the charter already covers

BVI customs fees and cruising permits are included in your rate, so the boat's own clearance is handled and is not an extra line on your bill. Your personal flights, your ferry tickets and anything you spend ashore before you step aboard are yours.

A sensible arrival plan

If your group is arriving from several cities on different flights, tell us the spread of arrival times. It is usually easier to move the boat than to move ten people, and a first evening at anchor somewhere quiet beats everyone sitting in a terminal.

From there the week is yours. The captain builds a route around what your group actually wants, through the BVI and USVI.

Common questions

Can I fly into St. Thomas for a British Virgin Islands charter?

Yes, and many guests do, because St. Thomas (STT) has far more nonstop US service than Tortola's Beef Island airport (EIS). You then cross to Tortola by ferry, or we can arrange to pick you up in the USVI.

Do I need a passport to go from St. Thomas to the BVI?

Yes. The British Virgin Islands is a separate country from the US Virgin Islands, so crossing is an international border. Every guest needs a valid passport, children included. A birth certificate or driver's license is not sufficient.

How long does the ferry from St. Thomas to Tortola take?

It is a short crossing, running daily from both Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook on St. Thomas into Road Town and West End on Tortola. Schedules change seasonally and thin out on Sundays and holidays, so we send the current timetable for your specific travel day once your dates are set.

What happens if my flight lands too late for the ferry?

Ferry service stops in the early evening rather than late at night, so a late-afternoon arrival can mean an unplanned hotel night in St. Thomas. Aim to be on the ground by early afternoon, or ask us about being picked up in the USVI instead.

Can the yacht pick us up in St. Thomas instead?

It can be arranged. It needs more notice than a Tortola start and it uses part of your first day's sailing, so raise it when you first inquire. A one-way charter that ends at Red Hook on St. Thomas is also possible.

Are BVI customs fees and cruising permits included?

Yes. BVI customs fees and cruising permits are part of the charter rate. Your own flights, ferry tickets and spending ashore are not.